Centrifugal drier



Sept 1, 1936- A. c. SCHMELZER 2,052,669v

CENTRIFUGAL DRIER l 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 7, 1935 ATTORNEY Sept. 1, 1936 A. c. scHMELzE-R CENTRIFUGAL DRIER Filed sept. 7, 1955l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HN'/V SPHNELZER ATT NEY Patented Sept. 1, 1936 Darren srares PATENT FFIQE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to laundry machines and Vparticularly to centrifugal rinsing and drying apparatus, especially of that type intended for home or domestic use in which a rotary, perforated basket extracts liquid from the materials to be dried and directs the extracted liquid into a tub, from which the liquid is then discharged by means of a suitable pump.

The rotary basket in present day centrifugal driers of the type referred to is ordinarily driven and; supported by means which are connected either to the top of the basket or the bottom ofthe basket or both in order to eliminate obstructions in the basket of the drier. As centrifugal driers of this construction have their basket supported on points substantially spaced from th center of gravity of the basket, a smooth and proper rotation of the basket entirely depends upon proper and equal distribution of the material charged into the basket. It is well knownvthat the ordinary operator of a centrifugal drier often neglects the proper distribution of the material in the basket of the drier and this effects very substantial undesirable vibrations of the drier, which vibrations accelerate wear and tear on the drier and often make the operation of such a drier unsafe.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a centrifugal drier with supporting means for its rotary basket arranged peripherally in a plane between the top and bottom portion thereof and in proximity of the center of gravity of the basket, so asV to decrease the unfdesired effects of unequal distribution of a charge of the basket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal drier with rotary supporting means and means on the side wall of the basket between the top and bottom portion thereof and in proximity of the center of gravity of the basket, for cooperation with the rotary supporting means in suspending the basket within the drier.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal drier with rotary supporting means and means on the side wall of the basket between the top and bottom portions thereof and in proximity'of the center of gravity of the basket for universally suspending the basket in said supporting means and permit of the basket being automatically by gravity action aligned with respect to the axis of rotation of said supporting means in that the center of gravity is brought into alignment with said axis.

With these and incidental objects in view, the

(Cl. ZIO-71) invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims; and a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is hereinafter shown V with respect to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending prior application Serial No. 688,513 filed September 7, 1933. Y

In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a centrifugal drier embodying the improvements according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure l, and

Figure 4 is a perspective View of one of the arms supporting the ring of the supporting means for the basket.

Referring more particularly to the drawings I denotes a centrifugal drier tank or tub in which a clothes basket 25 is rotatably supported, which basket is adapted to be coupled with and driven from the wringer gear box of a wringer type washing machine, not shown, by means of a drive shaft 6. This shaft is enclosed in a tubular housing 1, supported at opposite ends adjacent one side of the drier tank I by means of upper and lower brackets 8 and 9, which brackets are secured to and project laterally from the tank I.

Drier tank I, preferably cylindrical in shape, is reduced at its lower end to form a drain chamber IIJ and a cylindrical portion II, which portion forms part of a housing of a pump I 2. As shown the pump housing consists of two halves, a lower half I3, formed by the inwardly bent and suitably shaped lower part or Wall of portion II, and'an upper half Id consisting. of a preferably cup-shaped inset member, which rests upon and is Welded to said lower half I3. A plurality of impeller blades I5 rotate in the portion II and discharge liquid into the pump housing. 'Ihese impeller blades are secured to inner and outer spaced, bell-shaped blade retainers I6 and II respectively, the lower ends of which communicate with the interior of the pump housing. A downwardly and inwardly inclined drain board I8 is formed with an outer depending annular flange I9, which seats snugly within the portion II and rests upon the upturned ange 20 of the upper half I4 of the pump housing. Drain board I8 is also formed with a short inner depending annular flange 2| surrounding the central drip opening 22.

This flange 2l seats over the outer retainer member Il and directs water extracted from the clothes between the bell-shaped retainers I6 and i 1, from whence it is discharged in an obvious manner, when the impeller blades and their retainers are rotated. Y

Mounted within the tank for rotation about the axis is a short shaft 2li, which extends downwardly through the tank and carries a perforated metal clothes basket or extractor 25 in which the clothes to be rinsed and dried are placed. This basket isformed intermediate its ends with an outwardly bulged curved portion 26, which seats within a supporting ring 21 in turn welded or otherwise suitably secured to the upper ends of a plurality of .supporting arms 2B, substantially U-shaped in cross section, and preferably three in number. The lower portion of ring .27 is curved in inwardly corresponding to the curvature lof bulged portion 26 to seat the basket for free universal movement, and the upper portion 29 of the said ring is `straight to permit insertion ofthe basket therein and removal therefrom. A driving pin 3@ projects outwardly from the basket through a notch 3l in the straight portion .29 of ring 21, thus locking these parts against independent movement.

Though the curvature of the bulged part 26 of the basket 25 corresponds closely to the curvature of the curved portion of the ring 2l, and a snug fit is had between these parts, the t is suchvthat the basket is free for universal movement. Consequently, should the weight of clotheszbe unevenly placed in the basket,'the latter will automatically tilt in its swivel ring mounting and bring the weight closer to the axial center of the drive shaft, thus yeliminating objectionable chattering and strain by keeping the basket in perfect balance.

The lower angularly portions of the Varms 28 have arc-shaped ends 28 which fit snugly together'in the form 'of a circle and are clamped to a drivehead 32 of the shaft Zdby means of a cap 33, the depending annular flange 34 of which is formed with slots 35 to receive the upstanding flanges 36 of the U-shaped arms. The inner impeller blade retainer i@ is pressed upon or otherwise suitably secured to drive head'32 for rotation therewith. The upper squared end `3l of the shaft 2li fits within the squared opening 38 of the drive head^ 32 and a bolt 39 passes through the cap 33, arms 28 and into said squared end of the shaft to clamp these parts securely together." The shaft k2li extends downwardly through a bearing support de, the upper `end of which is enclosed by the depending sleeve flange M ofthe drive head 32 on which ange the impeller blade retainer I6 is fixed.

The bearing support @d is threadedly connected with a bearing housing s2, which supports the zlower half I3 of the pump l2, an integral part 'of the drier tank l, and thus clamps the drier tank to the bearing support liti. The housing i2 also encloses and supports a thrust 'bearing 43,

port housing 42 and at its other end to the tubular housing 1, enclosing drive shaft 6. Y

- Having thus described my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a centrifugal drier a tankV having any apertured bottom, a basket embodying a curved ring portion on its side wall centrally thereof Y arranged within said tank, a driving and supporting shaft for said basket extending through the aperturedbottom of said tank thereinto, and sup- Y porting means coupled with said shaft and seating the ring portion in the. side wall of said 'basket basket embodying a circumferential, curved seatV i'n the side wall of the basket centrally thereof, Y

a driving and supporting shaft for said basket extending through the apertured bottom of said tank thereinto,-and supporting means rigidly` coupledwith said` shaft and universally seating'said basket -by means of its curvedseat.

' 3. In a centrifugal drier aY tank having an apertured bottom, abasket embodying a curved ring portion on its side wall centrally thereofI arranged vwithin saidy tank, a driving and supporting shaft for said basket extending through the vapertured bottom of said tank ther'einto, and means rigidly coupled with said shaft vandilniversally se'atingsaid basket' by means of its curved ring portion, said supporting means including a ringshaped seating member having Vits lower inner surface shaped tocorrespond to the outer curvature of the ring portion on the side wall of said basket. n f

4. In a centrifugal drier a tank havingan apertured bottom, a driving and supporting shaft extended into said tankthrough the apertured bottorn thereof, a pluralityof uprights secured to the upper -end of said shaft, a supporting'ring secured to said uprights having its inner surface shaped to-'form-va'ballseat, and a basket embodying a curved central portion resting'within the ball Vseat of said ring for universal' movement with respect thereto-i l 5. In a centrifugal drier a tank having an apertured bottom,y adriving and supporting shaft extended into said tank through the apertured bot` tom thereof, a plurality of L-shaped Yuprights having their horizontal lportions lsecured to the upper end of said rshaft,'a supporting ring secured to and supported by the vertical .portions Lof said uprights, and a basket carried and encircled by said supporting ring, said ring and 'basket embodyingcooperating curved seating surfaces to permit of universal movement between said ring and said basket. .f

6. A centrifugal drier as described in claimn,

' wherein the seating surface of said ring consists of an upper'cylindrically-shaped'surface and a lower ball-shaped surface, so'as to permit of ready seating and unseating of said basket` in said ring.` '7. A centrifugal drier as described in claim 5,' y.embodying coupling means between said ring and said basket, said coupling means permitting of free universal movement between said ring and said basket. 1

Y ANTON C. SCHMELZER.` Y 

